The present invention relates to bags having carrying loops and more particularly to a novel holding device for gathering and holding plastic bags.
Shoppers frequently make a number of purchases either at the same or different stores, which purchases are xe2x80x9cbaggedxe2x80x9d in separate bags, typically thin plastic bags having cut outs near the top thereof which are designed to function as carrying handles. During the course of shopping the bags of purchased items are typically set down and picked up on a number of occasions, for example, when paying for a subsequent purchase, when waiting for public transportation and so forth.
It is rather tedious to gather up the carrying bags after they have been set down since they are not stiff and the open ends thereof tend to droop over when not being held. This is especially true of thin gauge plastic shopping bags. It thus becomes advantageous to provide some means for facilitating the gathering and lifting of a number of bags in such a way that the carrying xe2x80x9chandlesxe2x80x9d thereof are easily identified, grouped and grasped.
The present invention is characterized by comprising cooperating hook-type and loop-type tape sections one of which may be inserted through the bag loops forming the bag handles to gather the bags together and to secure the group of bags with a cooperating other one of the loop-type and hook-type tape sections. Using a loop of such tape, it is also possible to group the bags to thereby identify those bags which may contain groceries, for example, and those bags which may contain clothing, each grouping being separately identifiable from the other by the tape looped there through and having indicia written or non-toxic flourescent, colored tape very visible in nightlight printed thereon, if desired.
The hook-type and loop-type strips employed for this purpose are each typically drawn from a tape supply wound in roll form. An appropriate length of each strip is cut away from the supply roll (typically 4 inch lengths) and the strips are preferably cut using pinking shears or the like. Strips cut in this manner are comprised of both a hook type strip and a loop type strip, which strips are preferably formed of synthetic fibers and include a fabric-type strip respectively having a surface of hook-type and loop-type elements. Both ends of each of the strips are simultaneously cut and heat sealed by application of instantaneous arc spark on the synthetic strips, to accomplish both cut and seal simultaneously at both ends and to fuse the plastic material to protect against unraveling.
The strips, which have been prepared in the manner set forth hereinabove and comprising cooperating hook type and loop type strips, are placed about the handles of the bags and joined together to retain the group of bags, enabling the bags within the group to be carried, set down and picked up in a simple and convenient manner and wherein the hook type and loop type strips are joined together by pressing the hook-type and loop-type surfaces firmly into one another to enable the formation of a joined pair of strips which encircle the handles of the group of bags.
In still another embodiment, loop type and hook type strips which have preferably been cut employing pinking shears and heat sealed to fuse their ends, are pressed together and thereby joined in a staggered fashion so that a portion of each of the loop type and hook type joining surfaces are exposed at the ends of the joined members. The joined strips are then arranged to form a loop which passes around the bag handles and are secured with the exposed loop type surface joining the exposed hook type surface, the loop of staggered members encircling the handles of the desired group of bags in order to retain the bags within a group and in a manner similar to the first embodiment described herein above, to enable each group of bags to be easily recognized, one group from the other, picked up, set down and picked up again in an easy and convenient manner.
The cooperating hook type and loop type strips may be used and reused many times without the danger of fraying due to the pinking and heat sealing of the ends thereof.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to utilize cooperating hook type and loop type strips which are looped around and encircle the handles of thin gauge plastic bags to maintain the bags in a group and to facilitate their handling and carrying and wherein the hook type and loop type strips are treated to prevent fraying.